The following recipes are from Nourishing Friends: Recipes for a Healthy Life, by Gigi Cohen and Karen Dubrofsky; title of the French version is Cuisiner avec Gigi. A number of the recipes, including the ones here, call for nutritional yeast — a vegan product and a complete protein with a nutty, cheesy flavour. Nutritional yeast is also high in Vitamin B12, found in meat and fish, so it’s a good nutritional source for vegetarians. Although it is low in fat and sodium, its flavour imparts a richness to food and makes a fine substitute for Parmesan cheese.

Shepherd Less Pie

Serves 5 to 6

This dish, a riff on traditional shepherd’s pie, is as healthful as it is colourful: the orange of the sweet potato-squash mixture replaces traditional potatoes, and bright green sweet peas that go directly from the freezer into the casserole dish to preserve their colour and texture are used in place of the corn usually found in shepherd’s pie. “You want to see all the colour; that’s what makes it beautiful,” Cohen said.

1 pound firm tofu, grated

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms

6 tablespoons nutritional yeast, divided

3 tablespoons tamari

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

1 medium butternut squash, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 cups frozen peas

2 teaspoons paprika

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix tofu, garlic, onion, mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, tamari and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil together. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove and let cool.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.

While the tofu and veggies are roasting, bring the sweet potatoes and squash to boil in a large pot with enough water to cover them, then turn heat down and simmer until soft, about 30 minutes.

Drain well and add the remaining olive oil (or reduce or omit if you are trying to limit your fat intake) and purée in a food processor with the steel blade, taking care not to overprocess; alternatively, mash with a potato masher until smooth.

To assemble: Place the frozen peas in the bottom of a 9-by-6-inch baking dish. Spoon the tofu mixture over top and sprinkle with the remaining nutritional yeast. Spread the potato-squash layer over the tofu and draw the tines of a fork across the potato-squash layer to create decorative lines. Sprinkle with the paprika, and then put in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Wonder Bean Soup

Serves 10 to 12

Beans are an excellent source of essential vitamins, protein, fibre and minerals, write Cohen and Dubrofsky. Kombu, a seaweed rich in iron and minerals. is available in Asian grocery stores or the health-food section of supermarkets.

The powdered soup mix they use is found at health food stores; it contains no MSG.

The soup calls for garnishes of dill sprigs and lemon juice. Adding a bit of acidity to a recipe helps to wake up the flavours and bring them together, Cohen said. “Beans and lemon — or lime — do very well together,” she said.

Place the beans and one strip of kombu in a large bowl with enough water to cover and soak in the refrigerator overnight. (Be sure to use fresh beans; specimens that have been in the pantry for too long will not soften during cooking.) The kombu will absorb gases released by the beans. Drain the beans; discard the kombu. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil; add the beans and the second kombu strip. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beans are soft, about two hours. The kombu strip will disappear into the liquid, contributing iron and essential minerals.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process briefly with the steel blade. Once beans are cooked, add the processed mixture to the pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture up to a simmer and cook another five minutes or so — or not at all. After ladling the soup into bowls, add a dash of lemon juice and a few sprigs of dill. This soup freezes well.

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